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Bloomberg Attacks Guns, Annoys Conservatives, Amuses Us

<div class="image"><img alt="20070413bloomberg_sm.jpg" src="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/20070413bloomberg_sm.jpg" width="345" height="145" /></div>
When it comes to guns, Mike Bloomberg behaves less like a mayor and more like the 101st senator. His national anti-gun drive (okay, an anti-<i>illegal</i>-gun drive) began with a lawsuit against firearm dealers in neighboring states and grew from there to encompass efforts in such far-flung places as Ohio and Kentucky. Normally, and ingeniously, Bloomberg works by recruiting other city mayors to his cause, cobbling together a coalition of counterparts, now about 180 strong. Now, though, he's also lobbying Washington directly: At issue is a Republican measure that bans the ATF from sharing gun-trace data with the police, except in special cases. As a result, says Bloomberg, local authorities never get to see the full scope of firearm traffic in their own communities. A Bloomie-financed TV ad campaign is careful to draw the line between "crime" guns and "legal" ones, but the National Rifle Association is decrying it nonetheless. It's hard to tell if crafty Bloomberg is actually all-out anti-gun or not, much like it's hard to tell how, if at all, Republican he really is. In the meantime, we're just enjoying the sight of our mayor pissing off conservatives from shore to shore. As any good New Yorker should.
<a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/13/us/13guns.html>Bloomberg Bolsters Gun Drive in Ohio and Kentucky</a> [NYT]

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Bloomberg on St. Patrick's Day.Photo: Getty Images

When it comes to guns, Mike Bloomberg behaves less like a mayor and more like the 101st senator. His national anti-gun drive (okay, an anti-illegal-gun drive) began with a lawsuit against firearm dealers in neighboring states and grew from there to encompass efforts in such far-flung places as Ohio and Kentucky. Normally, and ingeniously, Bloomberg works by recruiting other city mayors to his cause, cobbling together a coalition of counterparts, now about 180 strong. Now, though, he's also lobbying Washington directly: At issue is a Republican measure that bans the ATF from sharing gun-trace data with the police, except in special cases. As a result, says Bloomberg, local authorities never get to see the full scope of firearm traffic in their own communities. A Bloomie-financed TV ad campaign is careful to draw the line between "crime" guns and "legal" ones, but the National Rifle Association is decrying it nonetheless. It's hard to tell if crafty Bloomberg is actually all-out anti-gun or not, much like it's hard to tell how, if at all, Republican he really is. In the meantime, we're just enjoying the sight of our mayor pissing off conservatives from shore to shore. As any good New Yorker should.